U.S. patent number 5,191,747 [Application Number 07/696,861] was granted by the patent office on 1993-03-09 for prefabricated pass-through service system for fast food restaurants and the like.
Invention is credited to Patrick M. Kelly, David C. Tengquist.
United States Patent |
5,191,747 |
Tengquist , et al. |
March 9, 1993 |
Prefabricated pass-through service system for fast food restaurants
and the like
Abstract
A prefabricated stainless steel appliance is provided for fast
food restaurants that may be readily retrofitted into the
preexisting pass-through openings in walls located between the
kitchen area and the customer area. The appliance permits the
serving of the customer with food with reduced personnel because of
the elimination of frequent trips to the kitchen area from the
customer area and return. The appliance includes an upper shelf for
temporarily holding and keeping warm popular foods for readily
serving.
Inventors: |
Tengquist; David C. (Richmond,
VA), Kelly; Patrick M. (Virginia Beach, VA) |
Family
ID: |
24798832 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/696,861 |
Filed: |
May 8, 1991 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/36.4; 108/42;
108/50.13; 312/242; 52/27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F
10/02 (20130101); E06B 7/32 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
10/00 (20060101); A47F 10/02 (20060101); A47J
39/00 (20060101); A47J 39/02 (20060101); E06B
7/32 (20060101); E06B 7/00 (20060101); A47J
039/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/36,204,206,209
;109/58.5 ;108/50,42 ;211/87,90 ;312/242,236,286 ;392/363
;219/213,214,218,385 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Scherbel; David A.
Assistant Examiner: Canfield; Robert
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Staas & Halsey
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A prefabricated pass-through apparatus for installation in the
walls of restaurants between the kitchen area and the customer area
comprising:
an upper section including an upper shelf forming the bottom of
said upper section, and extending substantially the entire width of
said upper section for temporarily holding and passing through of
food from the kitchen area to customer area;
a top for said upper section, two sides for said upper section
connecting said top and said upper shelf;
a lower pass-through section having a lower pass-through shelf;
two sides for said lower section extending downward from said upper
section sides;
a bin for food such as french fries located at said lower
pass-through section having an accessible end from the kitchen area
side and an accessible end from the customer area side; and
a recessed cut-out in said upper shelf located over said bin on the
kitchen area side for making more accessible the placing of of food
into said bin.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
at least one perforated removable grate lays on the top of said
upper shelf; and
at least one trough is provided at an edge of said upper shelf into
which oil and debris may be wiped from said upper shelf into said
trough.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
a flange is provided on each of said sides of said upper section
permitting said upper section to slide through an opening in a wall
until the sliding is arrested by said flange contacting said
wall.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
a food warming heater is recessed into said top of said upper
section to warm food temporarily placed on said upper shelf.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:
a heater is located under said upper shelf and over said bin to
heat any french fries or other food placed therein.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:
an opening is provided at one end of said trough which opening
overlies said bin so material can drain or be wiped from said
trough and fall into said bin.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
a flange is provided on each side of said upper section permitting
said upper section to slide through an opening in a wall until the
sliding is arrested by said flange contacting said wall.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:
a food warming heater is recessed into said top of said upper
section to warm food temporarily placed on said upper shelf.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:
a heater is located under said upper shelf and over said bin to
heat an french fries or other food placed therein; and
at least one trough is provided at an edge of said upper shelf into
which oil and debris may be wiped from said upper shelf into said
trough; and
an opening is provided at one end of said trough which opening
overlies said bin so material can drain or be wiped from said
trough and fall in said bin.
Description
This invention relates to an improved delivery system for fast food
restaurants and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many fast food restaurants there is a wall that separates the
area of cooking from the front where the customers are. This wall
which separates the areas usually has an opening which includes a
pass-through shelf. The opening varies in width but generally is on
the order of 5' wide.
On the back side of the wall, in the kitchen area where the food is
prepared, there is generally a bin or food warming area and once
the food is prepared it will be put down into this bin and held
there until it is put onto a plate which then is passed through to
the front. This pass-through is elevated above the food preparation
area and usually about 48" from the floor. The food warming bin is
usually at counter height of approximately 36". Thus the food is
normally prepared out of sight of the customer then put on a plate
and lifted up to put on the shelf that is at the bottom of the
pass-through. Then a server receives the plate on the customer side
of the pass-through. Otherwise, the same person that put the plate
on the pass-through would have to walk all the way around the wall
to remove it from the shelf and bag it or prepare it for putting
onto trays to serve to a customer. This normal procedure requires
an additional person to operate the restaurant during slack time.
During busy times there is sufficient clientele that all the
workers are busy. If the restaurant has a high volume all of the
time, no extra help is required. However, the customers are not
present in the same high volume all day long such as occurs during
lunch and dinner. In the afternoon periods and late in the evening,
business may be quite slow and an extra person is still required
just to keep the flow of the product moving. This invention is a
recognition of that problem and a solution to it. Because of the
heavy competition between fast food restaurants and their need to
substantially cut cost, this extra labor is a substantial added
operational expense.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In this description, including the accompanying drawing, there is
shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is
to be understood that changes and modifications can be made in the
preferred embodiment within the scope of the invention and that
others skilled in the art will be able to make changes and
modifications in a variety of forms, each as may be suited in the
conditions of a particular case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention mounted in a
wall as viewed from the kitchen side;
FIG. 2 is a cross section 2--2 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention mounted in a
wall as viewed from the customer side.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1 a prefabricated pass-through apparatus or
service system 10 is mounted in a wall 50 that separates the
kitchen area 20 from the customer area 22 of restaurant such as a
fast food restaurant. The kitchen area is where the cooking and
most of the food preparation occurs and it is visibly separated for
the most part from the customer area to the front of the
restaurant. The customer area is where customers obtain and pay for
their food, and some minor food preparation occurs. This is
typically the situation in most fast food restaurants.
The prefabricated pass-through apparatus 10 is preferably made from
stainless steel grade 301 which is a common type used for the food
industry. It is made to restaurant standards by welding most of the
panels to meet the standards of the National Sanitary Foundation
(NSF). When manufactured to the NSF's standards, the apparatus is
easy to clean when used with food products. While most of the
components of the apparatus are welded together, some components
may be bolted into place to provide for changeability and
repairability. While the entire unit is preferably made into one
piece by being prefabricated it also may be made into several
subassemblies that are prefabricated which can be assembled at the
job site.
The apparatus has an upper section 24 and a lower section 34. The
upper section has an upper shelf 14 which is open both from the
kitchen side and the customer side. Doors may be provided
especially on the customer side that can be pivoted upward if
desired. The pass-through upper shelf 14 has a rim 52 angled
upwardly on the customer side and edging 54 on the side of a
recessed cutout 48 on the kitchen side.
There are three grates laying on the pass-through upper shelf 14.
These grates are in effect stainless steel shallow pans having
perforated bottoms approximate 1/2" in depth which are turned
upside down to place on the upper shelf. The three grates include
two side grates 56 and 58 which extend the full depth of the shelf
and one center grate 60 which extends from the recessed cutout 48
to the customer side of the upper shelf. The perforations in the
inverted pans allow oil to drain from any oily products placed
thereon. During cleaning these pans or grates are removed and
cleaned separately then a squeegee or cloth is used to pull the oil
drippings and any other debris to troughs 62 and 64 on the kitchen
side for collection and removal.
The end of the troughs are open so that drippings can also drain
into the fry bin 12. The upper section 24 also includes a section
top 28 and sides 30 and 32.
As seen in FIG. 3, a flange 26 is provided on each side of the
service system 10 where it contacts the wall 50 on the kitchen
side. Also, there is a wider flange 42 that contacts the same wall
50 on the kitchen side at the top of the upper section 24. The
flange not only contacts the wall but covers the recessed portion
of the upper section. As seen in FIG. 2, the upper section 24 is
mostly flush with the wall 50 on the kitchen side but extends out
into the customer side.
The recessed upper section top 28 is provided with heating elements
68 in this recessed area 66. These heating elements are to heat the
food placed on the upper shelf while it is being temporarily held
there. Usually the heating elements are two high intensity food
warming units and may include lighting to simultaneously light the
food. Suitable heating units are available from several sources,
one of the preferred types is the Glo-Ray (trademark) available
from Hatco Corporation, 635 S. 28th St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53215.
A lower section 34 includes a lower shelf 36. As shown in FIG. 1
there is both a shelf area on the left and right of the fry bin 12,
but in some configurations the fry bin and recess cutout 48 can be
at one side of the service system 10 with the shelf extending the
remainder of the width of the service system. The lower shelf is
used for passing through trays and the like and is accessible both
from the kitchen side and the customer side. Obviously other
materials may be passed through on the shelves other than
trays.
The lower section has side 38 and side 40 which extend in the same
plane from the upper side 30 and 32. The lower shelf includes a rim
or edge 76.
Mounted in the middle of the lower section 34 is a fry bin 12.
While this bin is primarily usable for french fries it is also
usable for other types of food where it is desired that the food be
maintained separately from the food held on the upper shelf. The
bin 12 has a kitchen area accessible end 44 as shown in FIG. 1 and
a customer area accessible end 46 as shown in FIG. 3. Each of these
ends have an angled outward endwall and vertical sidewalls of the
same height as the endwall.
The sidewalls 70 and 72 have a height extending from the bottom of
the bin to the upper shelf 14. The kitchen side of the bin has the
full height of the bin sidewalls extending generally to the edge of
the wall as shown in FIG. 1 but the sidewalls only come outward on
the customer side approximately half way under the upper shelf as
seen best in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The french fry bin 12 may also be
referred to as the food warming bin since other food may be placed
therein when it is desirable that it be readily accessible, warm
and that it be separated from the food temporarily placed on the
upper shelf. Thus the bin does not extend past the outer
projections of the service system on the customer side but yet is
readily accessible for reaching in and obtaining the food located
there. On the kitchen side the bin is located under the recessed
cutout 48 and projects into the kitchen area. When the bin is used
for french fries which are usually cooked in wire baskets in oil,
the baskets with the cooked french fries are lifted from the oil,
shaken, permitting the oil to drain and then are normally tossed
into the bin. The recessed cutout 48 and the projection into the
kitchen of the bin cooperate so the cooking basket can be readily
dumped into the bin. It is to be noted that the bin underlies the
edge of the two cleaning troughs 62 and 64 so material will drain
into the bin from the troughs either by gravity or by being pushed
there by a cleaning rag.
A heating element 74 as shown in FIG. 2 is located above the bin to
warm the food placed therein. The heating element may also include
lights. The heating element can be similar to the type available
from Hatco Corporation as mentioned earlier, except those used in
warming the bin would of course be shorter. The lower shelf 36
projects into the kitchen area as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and also
projects into the customer area as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Suitable
lights may be provided to light the lower shelves or countertop.
The lower shelf may extend further into the kitchen area than shown
to provide additional countertop and plates can be stacked below
the shelf on any suitable kitchen equipment located under the shelf
(not shown). Generally the lower shelf extends the full width of
the service system and the bin is located in the middle or at one
end on top of the lower shelf and is secured in place by screws
either to the underside of the upper shelf or the lower shelf or
both. The lower shelf is usually secured to the upper section by
screws so that it can be removed and other apparatus such as a
steam table or other future improvements inserted at least in
part.
The service system is preferably made of 14 and 16 gauge 301
stainless steel usually the upper section being made of the heavier
gauge and the lower section being made of the lighter gauge. The
upper shelf is usually approximately 48" from the floor and the
food warming bin is approximately 36" from the floor. The width of
the service system is approximately the same width of a preexisting
pass-through opening in the wall if it is being retrofitted to an
older building. This would usually be approximately 60" in width.
If it is for a new building the width would be as desired but
normally it would be 8' or less. The depth would normally be a
maximum of 36" and preferably approximately 30". The height would
normally be around approximately 31" from top to bottom.
In the case of preexisting buildings the existing pass-through is
normally 16" high located about 48" from the floor with a width of
approximately 5'. Usually it is located in the wall that is a
substantial distance from the nearest door in the wall. Therefore,
when it is necessary to go from the kitchen area to the customer
area there is a travel distance of approximately 36' normally
involved.
The greatest use of the invention is in retrofitting existing fast
food restaurants. This is accomplished by leaving the opening that
already exists at approximately the same width but enlarging the
vertical height of the opening by going up and down to enlarge the
opening to approximately 31" in height. Next, the service system 10
is slid in place from the kitchen area until the flanges 26 contact
the wall 50 on the kitchen side and then the apparatus or service
system is fastened into place by screwing either the flange 26 or
the inner walls 30 and 32 or both to studs or other supports in the
wall on either side of the enlarged opening. Next, an electrical
connection is made for the lights and heaters. Installation can
usually be accomplished for most restaurants between the normal
quitting time and before breakfast the next morning so installation
does not require that any time be lost during business hours.
By not increasing the width of the pre-existing opening there is no
interference with electrical cables and plumbing that may be in the
wall on both sides of the opening. Generally this is not a problem
with any plumbing or electrical wires above and below existing
pass-through openings.
The economics of the service system 10 are such that it may pay for
itself in approximately six months. It can be rapidly installed
with minimum cost during times when the restaurant is normally
closed. There is no need to cut the tops of counters prior to
installation.
The apparatus 10 of the present invention provides access to a
prepared food product from both the customer side and the kitchen
side and separates the usual products such as fish and chicken from
other products such as french fries and provides a means for
passing trays and/or plates from the customer side to the kitchen
side where food can be dished out and passed back through the
front. The apparatus is designed to only occupy a limited space and
not interfere with existing equipment. Furthermore, the apparatus
permits reduced labor because of the elimination of the need for a
fourth person. This fourth person is usually only needed part time,
generally for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the
evening during peak periods and this type of personnel is usually
difficult to find. Also, the apparatus gives a customer a
perception of prompt service even if the fourth person is not used.
Usually three people are needed: a cook, a cashier and a management
person.
When using the apparatus with only three people, the food product
which is most popular is generally prepared and placed on the food
warming pass-through upper shelf 14. There may be a holding time on
the shelf of 20 to 25 minutes for some of the food products. Those
products needing separation such as french fries can be located in
the bin 12. The placing of the food products on the food warming
upper shelf also serves as a merchandising tool since the customers
can view the food products from the customer area. Generally, the
products are heated to a minimum of 140 degrees fahrenheit while on
the shelf. Preferably, air flows over the product while on the
shelf to prevent moisture from increasing.
When the food is served to the customer it is taken down from the
upper shelf and any products ordered that are in the bin are added.
If ice cream and the like is also ordered, it may be taken from the
reach-in refrigerator 16 located on the customer side under the
apparatus 10. The customer is then served with the food. All of
this is accomplished without the need for the serving personnel to
go from the customer area to the kitchen area and back. Of course,
if special items are ordered they can be handled on a custom basis
as in the past.
The invention may also be utilized in new construction which has
most of the same advantages described above except some of the
advantages that make for easy retrofitting is, of course, not
required for new construction.
It is to be understood that the following claims are intended to
cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention
herein described and it is to be understood that this specific
embodiment herein shown is not to be construed in the limiting
sense but is merely to depict and illustrate the principles of the
present invention. Modifications may be devised by those with skill
in the art which will not depart from the spirit or scope of
protection as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *